Page 45 of Devil's Game

I was the last person who would judge her for that.

“I thought Zane was the one you hated,” I whispered, my lips twitching as I tried and failed to keep the amusement off my face.

Sophia’s face paled slightly before she tossed her sleek red locks over her shoulder, pinning me with an incredulous look. “I guess I just hate them equally.”

Right . . .

I swallowed my laughter, giving her a knowing look as we took a seat along the plush velvet benches and she sat closest to Sebastian.

It took me a second to notice the hulking, brooding guard in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed in Sophia’s direction.Zane.

But I could tell Sophia had spotted him the moment she’d walked in, her eyes subtly shifting to him every few seconds, as she pointedly turned away from him, pretending she wasn’t affected by his presence in the slightest.

“Here,” Zane grumbled as he placed something on the table. The flash of the strobing lights on the dance floor reflected off the screen, illuminating it for a moment before they shifted. A phone.

He’d gotten her a phone?

“Nowwill you drop the attitude?”

I placed a hand over my eyes, careful of my makeup, as Sophia inhaled sharply. That was the wrong thing to—

“Attitude?” Sophia hissed.

I peeked through my fingers, morbidly curious of the murder I was undoubtedly about to witness. Sorry, Zane, nice knowing you.

“What he meant to say was, it is a peace offering, since he had to break your last one,” Sebastian interrupted, taking a seat between them to defuse the palpable anger building in both of their eyes.

My hands flopped to my sides, deflating a fraction at the realization that I wasn’t about to witness Sophia shredding into the man.

Why did Sebastian have to go and ruin the fun?

Spade snickered as he took a seat between Sophia and me, on my right, and Kellan on the left, cocooning me in with the masculine scents of their cologne. It was almost enough to distract me from my disappointment.

As I suspected, Sophia’s anger deflated at the reasonable explanation, a frown curving her lips. “How do I know you didn’t do anything to it?”

“You don’t.” Sebastian shrugged, giving her a dazzling smile.

That wasn’t reassuring in the slightest.

“We’ll have someone check it,” I assured her. “If you want to accept it, that is.”

She looked between them before glancing at the phone. “I guess it’s only fair, since he smashed my last one.”

The tentative truce seemed to snap between them as they entered into another glaring match. She snatched the phone off the table and shoved it into her clutch.

I struggled to keep the grin off my face, not wanting to call her out in front of everyone.

“Well, then, this is a special occasion.” Sebastian chuckled. “We should celebrate.”

He gestured to the still-corked bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket in the middle of the table, with fluted glasses surrounding it. To my surprise, he looked at me for confirmation. I surveyed the table again, noticing the way the glasses still had the paper covers over them, the foil even still attached to the bottle.

I glanced back at him, seeing the look of understanding in his toffee eyes. He’d done this for me, because of the way I’d refused the drink the last time, knowing I’d been hesitant to drink from a bottle that had already been opened. Spade played with a lock of my hair while Kellan placed a hand on my thigh, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin in a comforting gesture. Each of them was trying to reassure me and lend me strength in their own way, the knowledge bringing a smile to my lips.

“Sure.” I nodded in appreciation, picking up a random glass in the center before the others did the same.

Sebastian popped the champagne and filled all our glasses. “Cheers to our thriving new business arrangement.” He eyed the crowd just steps away from the velvet rope now. “The club hasn’t been this packed in years.”

Kellan rolled his eyes, and Spade chuckled before we each clinked glasses and took a sip of our drink. Delicious bubbles rolled over my tongue, the cool liquid helping to ease some of the heat licking against my skin from the stifling club.

---